Southchurch Park Pre School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children happily greet each other with a welcome song at the beginning of the session. Staff enthusiastically join in to model the actions and words to support children's emerging social and communication skills. They dance together, and all children, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), move rhythmically to their favourite, familiar songs.

This helps build on children's deeper understanding of words, their physical development and growing confidence. Staff are engaged with children at their level and interact warmly and positively. This helps children feel safe and secure in the pre-school.<...br/>
Staff organise the pre-school, so children can move around freely to access the activities and resources to follow their own interests. They provide many opportunities for children to make choices and decisions. For example, children choose when they wish to have snack or go outside to play.

Staff set up various experiences to help children learn to share and take turns. As a result, children wait patiently for their turn to choose a card or place an object into a barrel as they play a variety of games. Staff are clear of the purpose of the activities they provide in line with the curriculum they have created.

Therefore, children practise skills, such as using scissors, and enjoy scooping and pouring to strengthen the small hand muscles they will need to eventually become competent writers.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The long-standing manager is committed to constantly improving and providing good-quality care and education. She is very reflective.

For example, staff have recently changed elements of the routine, such as snack times, so children's play and learning are not unnecessarily disrupted.Staff speak very positively about the support the management team provides. They benefit from regular supervisions and guidance.

The manager understands the importance of continuous professional development and encourages staff to access regular training that is relevant to their roles and the needs of the children.Parents provide information about what their children know and can do when they start. The manager adopts a flexible approach to settling-in sessions, so both parents and children feel comfortable.

Staff regularly review and assess children's progress to close gaps in their learning. However, at times, their interactions are not sufficiently focused to provide greater challenge, so children learn more and extend their existing knowledge even further.The staff team has developed a curriculum that addresses the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on some children's learning and development.

For example, they identified that certain children struggle with their emotions and behaviours.Therefore, staff plan activities that give children the freedom to express how they feel.Staff listen to children talking about what is important to them.

This encourages children to speak more and feel valued. However, staff do not consistently introduce new, more complex words or expand sentences to enhance children's vocabulary. Staff use simple sign language to help children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language to strengthen their understanding and help them communicate.

Staff promote children's independence well. For instance, they offer praise and encouragement when children persevere to peel a satsuma by themselves. Children learn how to keep healthy.

They know what foods are good for their teeth and bodies and that they need to wash their hands before and after snack.The highly effective special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) provides extremely good support so that all children make good progress. She knows children exceptionally well and equips staff with the confidence, knowledge and resources to be able to meet their key children's specific needs.

Additional funding is used to purchase experiences and resources that prioritise children's learning and development.The pre-school has been a part of the community for many years. It has formed a strong working relationship with its host church.

Children are invited in for religious celebrations to help give them a meaningful understanding of people's differences and similarities.Parents cannot praise the pre-school enough. They say staff are 'brilliant' and exceptionally supportive.

They can see a real difference in their children as a result of coming to the pre-school. Parents also recognise how much support they get as a family. Staff welcome other professionals into the pre-school and work in partnership with them and parents to put in place consistent strategies and approaches to best meet the needs of all children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff to develop their interactions to provide all children with greater challenge that builds even further on their learning support staff to extend children's communication and language skills and introduce more complex vocabulary.